Grieving Orca carries dead baby
The calf died Tuesday [24 July 2018] morning, half an hour after it was born near Victoria, BC in the Haro Strait between Sidney Island, BC and Henry Island, WA, to a 20-year-old whale called J35. It was the first calf known to have been born to the local population, known as the Southern Resident killer whales, since 2015. There are just 75 of these endangered whales in three pods. J-35’s pod consists of 23 whales.
(And).....There are more potential threats on the horizon. A recent agreement to expand the Trans Mountain Pipeline, which carries oil from Alberta to Burnaby, BC, would multiply tanker traffic through the orcas’ habitat and expose them to more noise and potential spills and ship strikes. READ THE FULL PAGE ..... What can we do? Learn more from this March 2018 video (1 min 35 secs) from the Raincoast Conservation Foundation: A Killer Whale Emergency Afroz Shah Admirable Beach Cleanup MUST WATCH!
This video is powerful.
June 10, 2018 - Video 1:58 min.
91% of plastic isn't recycled. See how you can take your beach cleanups to the next level! - TAKE ACTION! Also see Waterdocs to see what you can do to protect water on World Oceans Day.
Mobility pricing relieves congestion, helps people breathe easierJune 4, 2018 - Suzuki Foundation
By 2002, drivers in London, England, were spending as much as half their commuting time stalled in traffic, contributing to much of the city centre’s dangerous particulate pollution. To deal with a growing population, increasing gridlock and air quality concerns, the city implemented a congestion charge, using a photo-based licence-recognition system.
Between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays, drivers entering a 21-square-kilometre zone in Central London are charged a fee, which has risen from about C$8.50 in 2003 to $20 now. The city offers discounts or exemptions for zone residents, people with disabilities, emergency vehicles, motorcycles and taxis. Congestion pricing is a solution that works. But politically, it’s a difficult sell.... .....Cities worldwide have implemented or are considering congestion pricing, including Singapore, New York and my hometown of Vancouver. Metro Vancouver’s Mobility Pricing Independent Commission recently released a report that concluded, “Region-wide road usage charging is the most effective tool to provide a systematic, meaningful and lasting reduction in traffic congestion.”...... READ MORE.... Editor's Comment: Tell your representives to act to reduce traffic congestion. The Great Pacific Garbage PatchMay 7, 2018 - National Ocean Service
This Sunday April 22, we celebrate Earth Day and its theme this year is "End Plastic Pollution"April 19, 2018 - Greenpeace
This is the perfect opportunity to talk with your family and friends about how you can make a difference in your community or city. Greenpeace are launching a new project and have created an action toolkit to help you work with your community, local businesses and elected officials to stop the flow of plastic waste into our waterways and oceans by turning off the tap at the source - the overproduction of single-use items. Let's break free from plastic! Check out the toolkit and see how you might best take action.
Microplastics found in some Canadian bottled waterApril 9, 2018 - CBC Market Place
Going green shouldn't be this hardMarch 16, 2018
Four years of garbage in one jar seems a bit questionable, but the overall message is worth the time to watch this video. FVC
Our names are Mya and Eve and we are 11-year old students in Grade 6 attending school in Calgary. A science project of ours on single-use disposable cups revealed shocking facts and we think it’s time to act.
We also did some research and found that 430 billion single-use disposable cups are thrown in the trash each year around the world, about 140,000 each second. We also found that every year, Starbucks distributes more than 4 billion single-use cups to customers, which means that 1 million trees are cut down to provide the paper. Most people think that these cups are recyclable but that’s not always true. In Canada alone, over 1.5 billion disposable coffee cups are thrown away each year. Some end up in landfill and some are incinerated adding to air pollution and climate change. Starbucks could recommit to 100% recyclable cups. In 2008, it had the goal to serve a recyclable cup by 2015. That did not happen! Today, billions of cups still go straight to the garbage. The plastic lining inside the cups makes it almost impossible to recycle with regular paper. We must ask them to develop a cup that can be recycled all over the world with the existing technology in recycling facilities. I think they can afford it with a total net income of $ 2,884,700 in 2017 according to Nasdaq! What can we do? See, learn, pray, act! We can sign the girls’ petition here: Sign the Petition
Consumer society no longer serves our needsJanuary 14, 2018 - David Suzuki
.......Now, we are no longer defined by our societal roles (parents, churchgoers, teachers, doctors, plumbers, etc.) or political status (voters) but as “customers,” “shoppers” or “consumers.” The media remind us daily of how well we’re supporting continued economic growth, using the Dow Jones average, S&P Index, price of gold and dollar’s value.
But where is the indication of our real status — Earthlings — animals whose very survival and well-being depend on the state of our home, planet Earth? Do we think we can survive without the other animals and plants that share the biosphere? And does our health not reflect the condition of air, water and soil that sustain all life? It’s as if they matter only in terms of how much it will cost to maintain or protect them. Nature, increasingly under pressure from the need for constant economic growth, is often used to spread the consumption message. Nature has long been exploited in commercials — the lean movement of lions or tigers in car ads, the cuteness of parrots or mice, the strength of crocodiles, etc. But now animals are portrayed to actively recruit consumers. I’m especially nauseated by the shot of a penguin offering a stone to a potential mate being denigrated by another penguin offering a fancy diamond necklace. How can we have serious discussions about the ecological costs and limits to growth or the need to degrow economies when consumption is seen as the very reason the economy and society exist? READ THE FULL ARTICLE..... January 9, 2018 - TEDx - Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff
Can One Straw Change The World?Single-use plastics like cups, bags, bottles and straws contribute to the eight million tons of non-biodegradable plastic that we send to the ocean each year, where it works its way up the food chain and onto our plates. Recent studies have found microplastics in fish, sea salt, and drinking water, and some chemicals in these plastics have been linked to obesity, infertility and even cancer. Is better recycling or using compostable plastics the solution? Not exactly. Learn the simple steps you can take to break your single-use plastic habit and change the world.
January 9, 2018 - the Guardian
A million bottles a minute: world's plastic binge 'as dangerous as climate change'A million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute and the number will jump another 20% by 2021, creating an environmental crisis some campaigners predict will be as serious as climate change.
There has been growing concern about the impact of plastics pollution in oceans around the world. Last month scientists found nearly 18 tonnes of plastic on one of the world’s most remote islands, an uninhabited coral atoll in the South Pacific.
Another study of remote Arctic beaches found they were also heavily polluted with plastic, despite small local populations. And earlier this week scientists warned that plastic bottles and other packaging are overrunning some of the UK’s most beautiful beaches and remote coastline, endangering wildlife from basking sharks to puffins. READ MORE November 22, 2017
For decades, Coca-Cola has used the holidays as a marketing opportunity to sell itself as a happy joyful brand — but this global drinks giant’s plastic pollution is not filling us with festive cheer.
Watch and share our alternative Coke holiday commercial: share via Facebook, Twitter, or forward this email to a friend. Coca-Cola produces an estimated 110 billion plastic bottles a year, and many of these end up in landfill, on beaches, and in the ocean. We’re calling on Coke to take action to reduce the amount of plastic it produces. As the world’s biggest soft drinks company, it can change the way the whole industry operates. The more people who watch and share this video, the more pressure Coke will be under to take responsibility for its role in the plastic pollution crisis. Watch and share the video to expose the truth about Coke’s plastic problem: Share via Facebook, Twitter, or forward this email to a friend. So far over 350,000 people have signed the global petition to Coke and thousands have emailed Coke’s global CEO. Now, during one of the most important moments in Coke’s calendar, we need your help to turn up the pressure. The holiday season should be a time for kindness and joy — but while companies like Coke continue to pump out billions of throwaway plastic bottles, our oceans and the marine life will continue to suffer. November 21, 2017 - David Suzuki Foundation
Time for Canada to invest in protecting nature
Reduce and reuse plastic use - straws are a big start
Government inaction, industry tactics increase caribou risksNovember 2, 2017 - David Suzuki Foundation
October 5 came and went, and Canada’s boreal woodland caribou are still in trouble. That was the deadline the federal government gave provinces and territories five years ago to come up with caribou range plans for the iconic animals. Not one met the deadline.
Why should we care about caribou? Beyond the fact that we should care about all animals that play important roles in the ecological makeup of this “super natural” country, caribou are indicators of forest health. When caribou are healthy, it’s a sign the forests they live in are healthy. Forests provide numerous ecological services, such as preventing floods, storing carbon and regulating climate, as well as habitat for animals and plants and livelihoods and resources for people. READ MORE... October 9, 2017
Divestment from fossil fuels &
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Watch this video (left) from Ecuador with a Sarayaku woman: Nina Gualinga (time 3.58) about keeping oil in the ground. It also leads you a petition with video (time 2.12) at Amazonwatch. |
September 28, 2017 - Greenpeace Canada
Nestlé, Unilever, P&G among worst offenders for plastic pollution in Philippines in beach audit
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Montreal, September 21, 2017 - Following a week-long beach clean up on Freedom Island, a critical wetland habitat and Ramsar site [1] spanning 30 hectares in Manila Bay - one of the worst areas for plastic pollution in the Philippines, Greenpeace has exposed the companies most responsible for plastic pollution after an audit of plastic waste was conducted.....
Did you know that, "Canada is responsible for exporting approximately one third of diverted waste plastic to other countries [7], including China, the United States and the Philippines" READ MORE... |
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Op-ed: If you love the ocean, change the throwaway economy
The Environmental Law Centre Society just released a study called, Seven Reforms to Address Marine Plastic Pollution. A short overview has some startling statements:
"The world’s oceans are choking on plastic. This year up to 20 million tons of plastic bags, food wrappers, bottles, straws, Styrofoam, plastic fishing gear and other plastic products will cascade into the sea.
A startling new study in the Strait of Georgia has found over 3,000 plastic micro-particles per cubic metre of water. Clearly the throwaway plastic economy must be fundamentally changed.....
...... we need to reinvent the world’s plastic economy. British Columbians (and other provinces) can demand that governments:
Download the full study: Seven Reforms to Address Marine Plastic Pollution.
Editor's comment
These documents have much information for us and our communities to absorb. We need to speak up and express our concern with the staggering and growing plastic pollution problem. We need to call on industry, governments and our cities to stop plastic pollution. The throw away plastic economy needs to change. Get informed, talk about it in your fraternities and groups; make the pledge to first change your ways and then commit to call on others to do the same. Call on industry to change. Call on our governments to make the critical changes in law. The report provides many examples of cities, municipalities, and countries around the world who have implemented effective regulations that led to reduced plastic pollution. Make
"The world’s oceans are choking on plastic. This year up to 20 million tons of plastic bags, food wrappers, bottles, straws, Styrofoam, plastic fishing gear and other plastic products will cascade into the sea.
A startling new study in the Strait of Georgia has found over 3,000 plastic micro-particles per cubic metre of water. Clearly the throwaway plastic economy must be fundamentally changed.....
...... we need to reinvent the world’s plastic economy. British Columbians (and other provinces) can demand that governments:
- Ban the distribution of single-use plastic bags at supermarket checkouts — or tax it. California recently issued a ban — Ireland and England have reduced bag usage with taxes.
- Ban the sale of individual-sized bottled water, like Concord, Mass.
- Ban plastic straws, like Manhattan Beach, Calif. Alternatives exist, for those that need straws.
- Ban non-biodegradable disposable plastic cups and tableware (like France) — and Styrofoam food ware (like San Francisco).
Download the full study: Seven Reforms to Address Marine Plastic Pollution.
Editor's comment
These documents have much information for us and our communities to absorb. We need to speak up and express our concern with the staggering and growing plastic pollution problem. We need to call on industry, governments and our cities to stop plastic pollution. The throw away plastic economy needs to change. Get informed, talk about it in your fraternities and groups; make the pledge to first change your ways and then commit to call on others to do the same. Call on industry to change. Call on our governments to make the critical changes in law. The report provides many examples of cities, municipalities, and countries around the world who have implemented effective regulations that led to reduced plastic pollution. Make
August 21, 2017
Stop the Great Lakes Nuclear Dumps
Would you bury poison beside your well?
Ontario Power Generation plans to bury radioactive nuclear waste right beside Lake Huron
Ontario Power Generation plans to bury radioactive nuclear waste right beside Lake Huron
July 24, 2017
How Wolves Change Rivers
The links between creatures of this earth are a wonder and when man tampers with creation things often are not for the better. Watch this short video - editor
July 3, 2017 - Sofia Winford, Aleteia
Breaking this one little habit would have a huge effect on the environment
When Milo Cress started knocking on the doors of restaurants in Vermont with his appeal that they stop serving straws, he was only 9 years old. Now, at 15, Milo’s campaign is still going strong. He travels all over the world and has spoken at many high schools to deliver his important message.
But why straws? Straws are one of the most common types of plastic littering beaches, with estimates showing that the number of straws Americans use every day could wrap around the Earth two and half times. READ MORE.....join the fight.
But why straws? Straws are one of the most common types of plastic littering beaches, with estimates showing that the number of straws Americans use every day could wrap around the Earth two and half times. READ MORE.....join the fight.
JPIC News – The BC Election and pipelines
We know that technology based on the use of highly polluting fossil fuels – especially coal, but also oil and, to a lesser degree, gas – needs to be progressively replaced without delay. As Secular Franciscans we have to be aware of this. A reminder that one meaning of spirituality is how we live our lives informed by our faith. - Andrew Conradi, ofs
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The Oceans Are Drowning In Plastic — And No One’s Paying Attention
“We’re being overwhelmed by our waste.”
Huffington Post - May 12, 2017
.......“We’re being overwhelmed by our waste,” said Jenna Jambeck, an environmental engineer who led the 2015 study that determined this staggering number. According to Jambeck’s research, this figure is on track to double by 2025 unless something is done, swiftly and at a global scale, to stem the tide of garbage.....
........Recent studies have found that microplastics can also get washed out of synthetic clothing, like those made of polyester or acrylic. A 2016 paper concluded that a single cycle of a washing machine could release more than 700,000 microplastic fibers into the environment....
.....Developing nations don’t bear all the blame: The United States (and Canada?) has an ocean pollution problem, too. The main issue in this country is littering, according to Jambeck. “Even though we do have robust and effective waste management systems, we have litter,” she said. “And because our per-person waste generation rate is so high in the U.S., even that small amount of litter contributes to this problem.” The United States is one of the world’s top five waste-generating developed countries, according to the World Economic Forum.....
........Recent studies have found that microplastics can also get washed out of synthetic clothing, like those made of polyester or acrylic. A 2016 paper concluded that a single cycle of a washing machine could release more than 700,000 microplastic fibers into the environment....
.....Developing nations don’t bear all the blame: The United States (and Canada?) has an ocean pollution problem, too. The main issue in this country is littering, according to Jambeck. “Even though we do have robust and effective waste management systems, we have litter,” she said. “And because our per-person waste generation rate is so high in the U.S., even that small amount of litter contributes to this problem.” The United States is one of the world’s top five waste-generating developed countries, according to the World Economic Forum.....
OFS: Divest/invest Movement
Good day sisters & brothers,
I urge you to become aware of the divest/invest movement, if you are not already!
WHAT IS “DIVEST-INVEST”?
Divestment is the opposite of investment – it is the removal of your investment capital from stocks, bonds or funds. The global Divest-Invest movement is asking institutions to move their money out of oil, coal and gas companies for both moral and financial reasons, asking instead to reinvest those resources in clean energy companies that will help solve the climate crisis while tackling energy poverty.
Nine Catholic institutions announced (10 May 2017) their decision to divest their financial portfolios from coal, oil and gas companies. They are joining a wider group of 27 Catholic institutions that already divested from fossil fuels.
Please look at this: http://catholicclimatemovement.global/divest-and-reinvest/
Learn more about this movement and how you could join in the action. Are we Franciscans living up to our talk about caring for the integrity of creation which is central to our charism?
Submitted by Andrew Conradi, ofs, National JPIC Animator, May 12, 2017
I urge you to become aware of the divest/invest movement, if you are not already!
WHAT IS “DIVEST-INVEST”?
Divestment is the opposite of investment – it is the removal of your investment capital from stocks, bonds or funds. The global Divest-Invest movement is asking institutions to move their money out of oil, coal and gas companies for both moral and financial reasons, asking instead to reinvest those resources in clean energy companies that will help solve the climate crisis while tackling energy poverty.
Nine Catholic institutions announced (10 May 2017) their decision to divest their financial portfolios from coal, oil and gas companies. They are joining a wider group of 27 Catholic institutions that already divested from fossil fuels.
Please look at this: http://catholicclimatemovement.global/divest-and-reinvest/
Learn more about this movement and how you could join in the action. Are we Franciscans living up to our talk about caring for the integrity of creation which is central to our charism?
Submitted by Andrew Conradi, ofs, National JPIC Animator, May 12, 2017
Banning plastic from one supermarket aisle
March 12, 2017
CBC Sunday Edition - Interview worth listening to...
CBC Sunday Edition - Interview worth listening to...
Off the west coast of Norway, an emaciated whale was found stranded in shallow water.
Wardens put the animal out of its distress, and a group of zoologists arrived on the scene to investigate. They were shocked to discover that instead of food, the whale had a mound of plastic waste in its stomach, including 30 plastic bags.
Plastic is found in beached whales around the world, but this was a particularly alarming case. It served as a reminder of the environmental effects of our addiction to plastic: plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic wrap.
The effects are perhaps most visible in the oceans. The Great Pacific garbage patch is a swirling vortex of plastic that is the size of the state of Texas.
That, in a clamshell, is the backdrop for a new environmental campaign in Britain, called A Plastic Planet. It was founded by Sian Sutherland, a businesswoman who created a popular line of skin care products.
A Plastic Planet is gaining traction for its singular, simple idea: a proposal that every grocery store should set aside one aisle that is entirely plastic-free.
Wardens put the animal out of its distress, and a group of zoologists arrived on the scene to investigate. They were shocked to discover that instead of food, the whale had a mound of plastic waste in its stomach, including 30 plastic bags.
Plastic is found in beached whales around the world, but this was a particularly alarming case. It served as a reminder of the environmental effects of our addiction to plastic: plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic wrap.
The effects are perhaps most visible in the oceans. The Great Pacific garbage patch is a swirling vortex of plastic that is the size of the state of Texas.
That, in a clamshell, is the backdrop for a new environmental campaign in Britain, called A Plastic Planet. It was founded by Sian Sutherland, a businesswoman who created a popular line of skin care products.
A Plastic Planet is gaining traction for its singular, simple idea: a proposal that every grocery store should set aside one aisle that is entirely plastic-free.
Plastic Waste
Helps to Provide Shelter for the Poor
Our earth is being smothered with the immensity of the plastic waste in the environment. Recycling plastics to make building components for low cost shelter for the poor is a win-win-win action that should be promoted throughout the world.
Care For Creation's Resources and Ingenious Resourcefulness
Supporting Poverty and Creation.
Forty six year-old master craftsman from Birmingham, England, James Doran-Webb designed a series of sculptures made from driftwood for the Year of the Horse (2014). The sculptures took about six months to assemble and will have a place of honour in the Garden By The Sea in Singapore which is a natural park. Mr. Doran Webb has been living in Cebu, Philippines for the last twenty-six years where he has a workshop. The horses are made of about four hundred pieces of driftwood each and are built on a stainless steel frame. They each weigh in at about half a tonne, stand about six feet tall and have moveable limbs. The wood used was collected from beaches and rivers where he lives in Cebu. For every kilo of wood collected, a seedling is planted in the area. The wood he uses in his sculptures has been salvaged from beaches and rivers around Cebu by a network of local people which provided for their families and livelihood.
V. Mees, ofs
Mount Alverno Fraternity
Caledon, Ontario
Forty six year-old master craftsman from Birmingham, England, James Doran-Webb designed a series of sculptures made from driftwood for the Year of the Horse (2014). The sculptures took about six months to assemble and will have a place of honour in the Garden By The Sea in Singapore which is a natural park. Mr. Doran Webb has been living in Cebu, Philippines for the last twenty-six years where he has a workshop. The horses are made of about four hundred pieces of driftwood each and are built on a stainless steel frame. They each weigh in at about half a tonne, stand about six feet tall and have moveable limbs. The wood used was collected from beaches and rivers where he lives in Cebu. For every kilo of wood collected, a seedling is planted in the area. The wood he uses in his sculptures has been salvaged from beaches and rivers around Cebu by a network of local people which provided for their families and livelihood.
V. Mees, ofs
Mount Alverno Fraternity
Caledon, Ontario
FAITH AND FOOD
QUESTION
“Who were the first Environmental Campaigners”?
ANSWER: The World’s Religions.
“Who were the first Environmental Campaigners”?
ANSWER: The World’s Religions.
The Alliance for Religions and Conservation (ARC) is a non-for-profit organization founded by HRH Prince Philip. It is a secular organization that guides world religions with developing their own environmental initiatives and programs based on their own core teachings and beliefs.
ARC was founded in 1995 by HRH Prince Philip and currently works with 11 major faiths around the world to communicate compassion and conservation for the environment and planet.
ARC has created a new book (Published June 2014) called, “Faith and Food: Changing the World one meal at a time”. The book explains and guides the reader through current and contemporary issues around food, farming and spirituality.
It aims at helping the reader discern and make decisions about food, choosing foods that are sustainable, ethical, healthy and delicious. It also has some hard hitting facts, essays and articles about sustainable foods, farming and agriculture and includes recipes, stories, prayers and pioneering initiatives.
Faith and Food looks at the role of food in six major faiths. “Every faith celebrates food as a gift of the Divine and teaches that we must feed the hungry”. For more information, download this brochure.
ARC was founded in 1995 by HRH Prince Philip and currently works with 11 major faiths around the world to communicate compassion and conservation for the environment and planet.
ARC has created a new book (Published June 2014) called, “Faith and Food: Changing the World one meal at a time”. The book explains and guides the reader through current and contemporary issues around food, farming and spirituality.
It aims at helping the reader discern and make decisions about food, choosing foods that are sustainable, ethical, healthy and delicious. It also has some hard hitting facts, essays and articles about sustainable foods, farming and agriculture and includes recipes, stories, prayers and pioneering initiatives.
Faith and Food looks at the role of food in six major faiths. “Every faith celebrates food as a gift of the Divine and teaches that we must feed the hungry”. For more information, download this brochure.
Witness to a Catholic Farmer as he pursues ethical environmental husbandry through farming and education:
St. Francis
Patron Saint of Ecology
Dear Friends,
Greetings from the JPIC Office in Rome! This year is the 35th anniversary of the naming of Saint Francis as Patron of Ecology. Romans VI (the group of JPIC animators for the Franciscan Family) has considered how best to celebrate this event, especially in the context of the worldwide environmental crisis. We have prepared a series of resources to help our brothers and sisters throughout the world commemorate this celebration. We are very happy to announce the creation of a website containing these resources. It is being launched on March 22nd, World Water Day. The launch date reminds us that our commitment to work for the Integrity of Creation must be concrete and practical. Resources are available in various languages, and include a reflection on the celebration, the Pope’s declaration naming Francis the patron of ecology, a Eucharistic celebration, an ecumenical prayer, norms for an interreligious celebration, a Mayan Cross Prayer, Prayers of the Faithful and an article on Franciscan Spirituality. The address for the website is www.francis35.org .
The date for the commemoration of Francis as Patron of Ecology is November 29. We invite all of you to prepare events/prayers/gatherings to commemorate this anniversary at times which are convenient for you and your partners. You should of course include the Franciscan Family in your plans, but also be sure to invite the laity with whom you work and minister, diocesan organizations, ecumenical groups, interreligious groups and all people of goodwill. Help to promote among all people a spirit of care for creation in the spirit of Francis. You might want to consider the possibility of linking this celebration with that of the Spirit of Assisi, which occurs every year on the 28th of October.
We hope that these materials will be of use to you. Please share them as widely as possible. We ask that you send us a short article about any celebration you might hold in your city or region, along with some photos.
May God bless you in your work to care for the Creation that we share as gift with all of God’s creatures!
Joe Rozansky OFM and Fabio L’Amour OFM
OFM JPIC Office, Rome
Greetings from the JPIC Office in Rome! This year is the 35th anniversary of the naming of Saint Francis as Patron of Ecology. Romans VI (the group of JPIC animators for the Franciscan Family) has considered how best to celebrate this event, especially in the context of the worldwide environmental crisis. We have prepared a series of resources to help our brothers and sisters throughout the world commemorate this celebration. We are very happy to announce the creation of a website containing these resources. It is being launched on March 22nd, World Water Day. The launch date reminds us that our commitment to work for the Integrity of Creation must be concrete and practical. Resources are available in various languages, and include a reflection on the celebration, the Pope’s declaration naming Francis the patron of ecology, a Eucharistic celebration, an ecumenical prayer, norms for an interreligious celebration, a Mayan Cross Prayer, Prayers of the Faithful and an article on Franciscan Spirituality. The address for the website is www.francis35.org .
The date for the commemoration of Francis as Patron of Ecology is November 29. We invite all of you to prepare events/prayers/gatherings to commemorate this anniversary at times which are convenient for you and your partners. You should of course include the Franciscan Family in your plans, but also be sure to invite the laity with whom you work and minister, diocesan organizations, ecumenical groups, interreligious groups and all people of goodwill. Help to promote among all people a spirit of care for creation in the spirit of Francis. You might want to consider the possibility of linking this celebration with that of the Spirit of Assisi, which occurs every year on the 28th of October.
We hope that these materials will be of use to you. Please share them as widely as possible. We ask that you send us a short article about any celebration you might hold in your city or region, along with some photos.
May God bless you in your work to care for the Creation that we share as gift with all of God’s creatures!
Joe Rozansky OFM and Fabio L’Amour OFM
OFM JPIC Office, Rome
The article "Francis and Creation" by Nicholas Alan, ssf, provides a good summary of St. Francis' theology of creation which celebrates:
- the essential goodness of all that God has made
- both male and female, finding in their partnership the unitive way of salvation
SUNRISE IN THE FOREST - NATIONAL FOREST WEEK
"Sunrise in the Forest", National Forest Week, Canada, 21-27 September 2014
The celebration of our vast forests takes place the week of September 21st to 27th 2014. It is an annual celebration in Canada. The theme this year is
“Sunrise in the Forest” and recognizes the following: “A new day is dawning across Canada’s forests – one with great opportunity and great rewards. Today’s forestry is high-tech, diverse, innovative, and green. Be part of the responsible stewardship of our most important renewable resource. “
For more information about CANADIAN NATIONAL FOREST WEEK, contact the Canadian National Institute of Forestry (find on Facebook) and share your stories or register a National Forest Week Event that will be posted on the Forest Week Calendar - contact Stephanie Parzei.
“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago, the second best time is now.”
Anonymous |
In keeping with the celebration of the 35th Anniversary of the naming of Saint Francis as Patron Saint of Ecology officially celebrated on November 29th 2014. http://francis35.org, a wonderful opportunity for everyone to celebrate one of our greatest and dearest valuable resources would be to look for ways in our own community and families to celebrate Canadian National Forest Week.
Ways that Franciscans and their families and friends can celebrate are varied. Here are just a few ideas:
Ontario's 50 MILLION TREE PROGRAM is part of the United Nations Billion Tree Campaign. The United Nations' goal is to plant one billion trees worldwide each year. Ontario is committed to planting 50 million trees by 2025.
V. Mees, ofs Mount Alverno Fraternity, Caledon Ontario |
Francis and Creation
Resources
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Where there are federal policy areas that impact local governments' ability to deliver the best environmental results for their citizen, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) becomes the voice for raising those concerns. Every year, the FCM's Board of Directors selects three advocacy priorities, with the advice of its Standing Committee on Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development.
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The National Municipal Adaptation Project (NMAP) uses a research-based approach to understanding the state of adaptation planning and knowledge needs. Read the results of the NMAP survey of Canadian local governments here.
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The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) is a dynamic knowledge network that brings together leading researchers from British Columbia (BC) and around the world to study the impacts of climate change and to develop positive approaches to mitigation and adaptation.
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The MC3 project, British Columbia (BC) brings together researchers, practitioners and policy-makers from non-governmental organizations, provincial ministries, and three of BC's universities to identify emerging best practices and innovations in community climate change responses, develop strategies to share policy innovations, facilitate peer-to-peer learning exchanges, and stimulate the widespread knowledge mobilization needed to move communities beyond the changes required by current legislation and policies.
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The David Suzuki Foundation collaborates with Canadians from all walks of life, including government and business, to conserve our environment and find solutions that will create a sustainable Canada through science-based research, education and policy work.
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A resource for citizens, media, investors and decision makers who wish to participate in a more informed debate about the impacts of oil sands development. Created by a network of science-based environmental groups, working with First Nations, all facts are cited with sources and have been reviewed by a scientific advisory committee. Decide for yourself whether Canada needs a reality check on the unprecedented pace of oil sands expansion.
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Tides Canada provides innovative philanthropic, financial, and project management services for change makers – philanthropists, foundations, activists and civil organizations. They work on issues like water and oceans, environmental conservation, climate and energy solutions, food, the Arctic, social inclusion and civic engagement.
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Pacific Wild is a non-profit society registered in British Columbia, a project of the Tides Canada Initiatives Society. Pacific Wild is committed to defending wildlife and their habitat on Canada’s Pacific, to working with a diverse array of communities, First Nations, groups and individuals to ensure that biodiversity protection is at the forefront of land and marine use decisions and to mobilize a concerned global citizenry to achieve large-scale wildlife protection. Pacific Wild collectively refers to efforts carried out by both the Pacific Wild Alliance and Pacific Wild Initiative.
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